Deception
by Waterlily721
Summary: It's funny isn't it? It was deception that tore us apart and it was deception that brought us back together again.' Lies, betrayal, and dishonesty seem to follow Hermione and Ron everywhere they go. PostHogwarts.
1. Regrets

Regrets

If there's one regret I have to this day, it's not telling him. I know that he's probably happier now then he ever could have been with me. And I know that I was right for leaving and ending it after he cheated on me. But the fact that I never told him how much I cared for him and how deeply he hurt me and how I will never stop loving him has managed to nag me daily.

I'll never forget. Never. If there's one thing in this world that can make me cry…thinking about that day is it. I was a stupid little girl. A stupid little schoolgirl blinded by an adorable smile and some sweet compliments. No man had ever complimented me like that before. Sure, there was Viktor. But that was different. Never had I been called beautiful. Never had I been told that I was loved. And I haven't ever since.

She's his wife now. I heard from a couple discussing celebrities while I was in line for a pack of fags at the grocery. I didn't merit an invite to the wedding. But I read all about it. Right next to a picture of me taken when I had poured some coffee on my dress with a headline 'Granger Angry with Ex Lover's New Wife!' They always get it wrong. They always twist the truth. Everyone does. It's an epidemic.

But who cares? No one cares about who I really am. The truth. Just that I helped Harry Potter kill Voldemort. No one really cares at all. And them putting me in tabloids and papers doesn't make me liked or loved. Because they can drop you in a hot minute. You aren't important to them. They don't need you. No one needs anyone really.

I used to think I needed him. Used to try and picture myself without him and how I'd be able to survive a single day without his presence. Without his voice or smell. Without his hands. Those hands. That's what did it for me in the end. His hands were so big and warm and strong, yet gentle. And to imagine those hands on someone else…revolting. But here I am. Five years later. And I'm still standing. Guess that proves it then. I had been lying to myself. I didn't need him. I don't need anyone.

It's funny how you can look back and imagine how different your life would be right now had one thing never occurred. I do sometimes. Maybe I'd be the one who's married. Or maybe we'd still have fallen apart. Or maybe we'd be together, holding on to something that doesn't exist anymore, like a lot of couples, married or not, try to do. But you can't hold on to a lie. You can't build your world around it. I've learned that. It's not strong enough. Even a string of them. They don't have enough power to keep people together. Yet oddly enough, they certainly have the power to tear people apart.

Lies are man made things. And I don't trust man made things. They always fall apart. But I still do it. I keep on lying. Just another bad habit I've picked up. But I guess one has to lie sometimes out of necessity…in order to make it through the day without having their regrets eat away at them.

* * *

Author's Notes

Disclaimer: All the characters are the property of J.K. Rowling. This story is based upon the characters and their lives as published in her books. All situations are those of the author. If there is anything taken from another source it is cited at the bottom. Thank you.

Next chapter coming soon. please review.

Lovin' It,

Lily.


	2. Disappointed

Disappointed

I am, in a word, disappointed. Does that even make sense? I am so disappointed in myself. In my wife. In everything I've done. Everything I have become. In this thing called marriage.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, I know it. But it is what it was. It's the same everyday. I wake up everyday to my darling girl stretched out across me, smothering me. Always just a few moments before my alarm sounds off. Once it does sound I pry her off. Shower. Shave. Dress. She's usually up by then. Asking the house elves to cook her "Won Won" some breakfast. We kiss…peck to be accurate. Then we eat in silence, till I run off to work. I work all day at the Ministry. Sitting behind my desk. That's right, I have my own office now. Later I have lunch with either dad, or Harry, or the twins. Then I go back to work. I go home. She's already there, owling someone or chatting away with Pavarti. Then dinner is me eating while she fills me in on all that she's done that day. Sometimes after a drink we shag. Most times we don't. It depends on her mood. Then she showers while I work. I kiss her goodnight on her cheek. Then she pulls down her sleeping mask and pulls up the covers and then finally. Finally I have my favorite time of the day. When I get to lie down. And dream. Dream of whatever I want. Lately most of them have been the bad sort. Dreams about the past. About…her.

_"Why?"_

_"Why what?"_

_"Why her? Out of all the women in the world…why her?"_

_He was silent…and she was staring at him with a gaze suited for an interrogation, tears welling in her eyes, her head moving slightly back and forth. Her eyebrows rose._

_"Well? Because she's beautiful? Because she's successful? Because she's sexy?"_

_"…No. it's because…she doesn't need me."_

_"And I do?" he looked up for the briefest of moments and nodded, still looking guilty. Like a puppy who just shitted on his master's new white rug._

_"You're wrong," she said to him while shaking her head. "I don't need you. I don't need anyone." She said standing up and walking closer to him._

_"And that's a lie."_

_"Yes. But I guess you would know…being the expert in lying and all." _

_They stood there for a few moments…her looking at him. Him looking at the floor. Ashamed. He felt…ashamed. But he shouldn't. Because he didn't love her anymore. He needed to remember that. Hold on to it. He didn't love her anymore. He loved Lavender. _

_"You don't have to worry, Ron," he looked up at that, feeling oddly relieved. In an instant that relief was gone. Her head was down. "I'm not going to be difficult or any trouble at all, actually. I'm leaving. You-you can stay here…with Harry. He'll need you. He needs you. He always does." _

And then she was gone. I wake up. Her smell, her smile, her eyes…all gone. And the cycle I knew that today the cycle would start all over again. It had been going for weeks now. She was all I dreamed about. The same dream over and over. It would start all over again. Only today would be different. Today I'm going to ask. Today I am going to be brave, dig up that old Gryffindor courage, and ask Harry where she's gone to.

* * *

"And you sir?"

"Uh," he tried to scan through the menu quickly. "I-uh-I'll have a butterbeer."

"Okay then. I'll be back with your drinks in just a minute."

"Thanks," and then Harry was back to smiling.

"Beautiful day…"

"Probably the last one we'll have before it starts to get cold."

"Must you always look at the negative side of things Ron?"

"…Yes." Harry smiled as the waitress returned with their drinks.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Here you go."

"Thanks."

"Your food should be out in a bit."

"So…how's the wife?" Harry asked while cleaning his glasses.

"Fine."

"That's all? Just fine?"

"Just fine." There was silence for a few moments.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Is that what you want to ask me?"

"No…no."

"Then shoot." This was it. The moment of truth. The chance to ask what had been plaguing his mind for the past few weeks. The thing that had made him question his daily life. Why he was so miserable lately. So disappointed.

"You…talk to Hermione, still. Right?" Harry stopped sipping his butterbeer right then and looked at Ron with a serious expression.

"Yeah. Of course. I see her about four times a month. She rings weekly. She and Gin, they're still…close…you know." But he didn't. He had assumed that when the two of them broke it off that everyone he knew had done the same with her. This was new to him. But he supposed he should have expected it.

"Oh…well…um…how-how is she?" This was the point where Harry looked at Ron skeptically. Frowning slightly.

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Why do you want to know?" good question. Harry was confused as to Ron's motives. He always had thought that Ron cheating on her with Lavender had been a huge foul up, but it was not his place to act on it. He had kept Ron at a distance for a while afterward because Hermione was practically his sister. He loved her. And for Ron to treat her that way…he was pissed to say the least. But five years later, they were friends again, and he was still good friends with Hermione. Only he never mentioned the other when in one of their company.

And yet here was Ron. Married to Lavender for three years now. Probably would be starting a family soon and suddenly out of nowhere he was asking about her.

"Just wondering is all…" he said while stirring his drink a bit, looking everywhere but at Harry. He felt sorry for his friend in that moment.

"Look. Next time I see her…I'll let her know you asked about her." Ron only nodded with his head still down until the food came.

* * *

A/N:

Hello Readers. Things will start to look up for everyone soon. Thank you to those three who reviewed.

"Because she needs me" was taken from the movie Closer. If you have never seen it - do so. It's fantastic.

And that's about it.

Lovin' It,

LILY.


	3. Strangers

Strangers

"So he asked about her then?"

"Yeah. I don't get why though." Ginny Weasley, soon to be Potter, and Harry were washing the dishes in Harry's flat. Well, really Ginny was washing the dishes as a thanks for Harry doing a fantastic job of cooking her dinner in the flat that was technically Harry's even though she practically lived there. She merely frowned at his last statement, suds floating around her face as she tried to show him she could clean the muggle way. It wasn't going so well.

"Love, just use some magic…"

"I've got this Harry. How hard can it be?" He looked doubtful.

"Back to Ron though, isn't it obvious?" Harry shook his head to indicate no. "He still loves her. He's only just realizing it."

"That's ridiculous!"

"No. No it isn't."

"Then why is he realizing it five years after the fact?"

"Because darling, Weasley men are slow learners." Harry snorted at that. Then looked at the increasingly large amount of suds and still dirty dishes and a sweating Ginny.

"So are the women." She playfully glared at him.

"The question is what are you going to tell Hermione?"

"Just what I said – that Ron asked about her."

"And that's it?"

"Yeah…unless I'm missing something…"

"Only everything as usual dear." He glared and turned off the sink.

"I don't get it." She huffed and blew some hair out of her face.

"They still love each other. Duh."

"Oh."

"Yes… 'oh'. I don't think romance is your forte Harry." He looked offended at that. "Do you think I should finish the dishes?" the pile of dirty dishes was submerged in soapy liquid with little to no progress.

"I'm sorry dear, but I don't think dish washing is your forte." And with that he grabbed either side of her soapy face and kissed her.

"Tell her he asked about her," she kissed him again.

"I will."

"And tell me what she does."

* * *

He had finally escaped the confines of his house when Lavender told him she needed some flowers for the kitchen, sitting room, and bedroom. She "simply could not go to bed tonight without some kind of floral arrangement to fix up this sad little home." And so he all too willingly said he would go out and buy some, regardless of the fact that he had just gotten back from some convention he had to go to for work. Anything to leave her. And that's how he got here. Walking around outside, feeling sad and guilty. Asking himself, since when was he so desperate to leave his wife behind? Perhaps their marriage really was falling apart.

He had just reached the flower shop, which surprisingly enough was crowded on a Thursday afternoon. He took his sweet time picking out flowers to take home to Lavender, even debating whether or not he wanted to pick flowers he knew she would dislike so that perhaps she would leave the house in a huff and find some new ones herself. But he didn't dare do that. Then she might nag…all evening. She was good at that. He missed _her_ nagging. She always was nagging him about something, but always in a way that didn't make him feel stupid. In a way that seemed helpful…caring.

Speaking of nagging, the woman at the front of the line was tearing apart the person working at the register. Everyone was watching. Even this woman in front of him, dressed in a skirt that barely peeked out from under her jacket, her hair just touching her shoulders, and wearing boots that came to her ankles. She had a few lilies in her hands. She had nice legs too. Upon closer inspection, great legs. He didn't know why, but he wanted to talk to her. He wasn't attempting to cheat on his wife. No. He had cheated once before in life. That was enough. Really. But she was…intriguing.

"Poor bloke. Gotta feel bad for him," he said, just loud enough for her to hear. He was impressed that he was still able to be somewhat inconspicuous. It was then that she turned slowly. Her long legs no longer moving back and forth. First her straight brown hair flipped and then he could see her face. She was beautiful. She looked familiar but he couldn't place quite where they had met. She looked at him for a moment with a sort of excited look, then her brows furrowed momentarily, before she returned her face to a calm, cool demeanor.

"Not really."

"Why's that?"

"Perhaps he was being deceitful. After all…most men are."

"How could a bloke who works at a flower shop be deceitful?"

"Simple. He lied about a price or when an arrangement would be ready. It's not that farfetched that a person working here, who thinks that a woman knows nothing about anything, would lie to her to get more money."

"I suppose." He figured the conversation was going in circles. "I'm Ron by the way. Ron Weasley."

"I'm delighted to meet you."

"Don't I get to know your name?" she looked at him with a playful look in her eyes.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Well simple. I don't even know you sir. You're just some guy standing behind me in line at a flower shop, buying flowers for…a wife perhaps?"

"Doesn't matter. I told you my name."

"That you did. Or perhaps you didn't. How am I to know if that's really your name? As I said before…I don't even know you."

He looked at her with his mouth open and set to say something back. He was offended. She thought he was some kind of lying pervert.

"Oh relax," she said before he could speak. "I'm just having a bit of fun. I know for a fact that you're who you say you are."

"How?"

"Because…I'm psychic…and it's written here on this wizarding convention nametag." She plucked his chest where the nametag stuck to him. How could he be so stupid? He must have looked like a complete idiot wandering the streets with a nametag.

"Oh," he could feel his ears going red. She smirked.

"Besides…you don't look like the lying type. However, I could be wrong. It's always the ones that look innocent that are the best at lying."

"And how do you figure that?"

"Because you're conversing with a professional."

"…A professional liar?"

"Why yes. It's just one of my many talents." Ron wasn't sure why he was still talking to this woman in line. He didn't know her name or anything about her. She claimed to be a professional liar and she looked at everything in the world as a lie. But she was different, yet familiar. He looked at her face and knew he had seen her somewhere before. He wanted to ask her. Ask her how they had met. Why this all felt like déjà vu. But just as he was coming out of his thoughts and ending his blatant staring at her.

"Next!" She turned away from him to purchase her flowers and just as the man wrapped them up for her to take away she turned back to him.

"Well…it was certainly a pleasure."

"It certainly was. Perhaps we'll meet again."

"Perhaps."

She gave him another smirk, took her flowers and made her way out of the shop. He watched her walk out. Her hips swayed with each step and as she pushed the glass door to exit she turned, looked at him, and gave him a smile. And that's when he knew he had seen her before. That smile. That dazzling little smile. It was something he knew personally. He was sure of it. But he couldn't for the life of him remember from where.

* * *

A/N: 

"Because…I'm psychic…and it's written on this wizarding convention nametag" – was taken from the movie Bedazzled. "Because…I'm psychic…and it's written here on this nametag."

Hope you enjoyed it. More coming in a few weeks. Thanks for reading.

Lovin' It,

LILY


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